<div>Eating at some of the most expensive restaurants across the world is not just about the food, but about the whole sensory experience. It could range from a two-hour indulgence, complete with laser lighting and climate control at the world’s most expensive restaurant , Sublimotion in Ibiza , to an underwater culinary experience in the Maldives. From kobe beef to kaiseki, and from mouth-watering French food to Versailles-inspired decor, these restaurants offer the best in food and ambience — for a price, of course.<br /><br /><strong>Sublimotion, Ibiza, Spain: $2,000 per person</strong><br />The world’s most expensive restaurant offers much more than just food. It is a sensory journey where technology, psychology, world-class design, mood lighting, sound and, of course, food all come together to create a unique dining experience. Sublimotion, which started operations in June this year at the Hard Rock Hotel in Ibiza, an island typically known for its partying rather than culinary experiences, is the newest restaurant from Michelin starred Spanish chef Paco Roncero — Spain’s answer to British experimental chef Heston Blumenthal. The restaurant seats only 12 people, making it seriously exclusive. The 20-course “gastro-sensory” meal is a work of theatre, appealing to your senses and transporting you to another world. During the two-hour “performance”, you will be taken on a “tour” that starts at the North Pole — where you taste a cold snack that you carve out of a mini-iceberg — and ends at the baroque Versailles with a rose-based dish. <br /><br />Two waitresses dressed as air hostesses serve the food, while a compere introduces the dishes. Light and laser effects, along with music, create a different world to accompany each dish. And if that’s not enough, the temperature of the room, the humidity, and even the smells are altered to suit each dish as you experience the meal. The restaurant is open only during the summer; it opens next on 1 June 2015.<br /><br /><strong>Kitcho, Kyoto, Japan: $600 per person</strong><br />Kitcho is a beautifully designed restaurant run by award-winning, third-generation chef Kunio Tokuoka. Described as the high temple of kaiseki — a ceremonious multi-course affair that originated with Japanese tea ceremonies — Kitcho delights diners with an elegant series of plates showcasing seasonal and local ingredients such as hamo (Japanese conger eel) and ayu (sweetfish). Guests savour these in their private tatami room overlooking a beautiful Japanese garden. Tokuoka believes every dish that is served to customers is a work of art and represents the sights and smells of Japanese culture. His overriding culinary philosophy is to optimise flavours and every dish reflects that. However, like any kaiseki meal, an adventurous palate is required — you may just find yourself eating cod sperm.<br /><br /><strong>Le Meurice, Paris, France: $525 per person</strong><br />Property of award-winning chef and restaurateur Alain Ducasse, the Le Meurice is a luxurious, Versailles-inspired restaurant with crystal chandeliers, antique mirrors and bronze statues that overlooks the Jardin des Tuileries. As part of the five-course collection menu, you will taste three specialities — guinea fowl pie, lobster with potatoes and veal sweetbread, for instance — plus a selection of cheeses and desserts. The price does not include drinks, which can add a couple of hundred dollars more to the tab.<br /><br /> </div><table cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="2" align="center" width="600"><tbody><tr><td><img align="middle" width="640" height="427" src="/image/image_gallery?uuid=77804a1d-b273-40d3-8163-af2f56309ff4&groupId=520986&t=1416906221646" alt="" /></td></tr><tr><td>Feast For Royals: Le Meurice is a luxurious, Versailles-inspired restaurant in Paris; (bottom) a traditional multi-course Japanese dinner (Photographcourtesy: Pierre Monetta/Le Meurice, Paris/Dorchester Collection; Adam Goldberg/Kitcho, Kyoto)</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /><strong>Masa, New York, US: $450 per person</strong><br />Masa, the Michelin starred restaurant located at the Time Warner Center in the heart of New York, is one of the most luxe dining experiences you can have in the Big Apple. Chef Masa Takayama, who moved from Los Angeles to New York to set up Masa in 2004, advises diners to dress comfortably to allow for a three-hour multi-course culinary event. The fixed tasting menu that comprises dishes such as risotto folded with uni and truffles, kobe beef sukiyaki and slabs of foie gras is almost art in the way it is served. The tasting menu does not include the sake, which can cost upwards of a couple of hundred dollars.<br /><br /><strong>Maison Pic, Valence, France: $445 per person</strong><br />Maison Pic, the legendary French restaurant, has the distinction of being a three-star Michelin restaurant. In 1939, it earned its first under Andre Pic, grandfather of current chef Anne-Sophie Pic. Known for giving her own twist to classic dishes, she has created an innovative nine-course set menu that includes bon-bons filled with lightly smoked, spice-infused watercress consommé, Drome goat marinated in aromatic herbs and Chartreuse.<br /><br /><strong>Hotel de Ville, Crissier, Switzerland: $415 per person</strong><br />This three-star Michelin restaurant serving French cuisine is known for showcasing legendary chefs of the region for more than 40 years. In April 2012, chef Benoit Violier took over the kitchen and a year later was voted chef of the year in Switzerland, having earned 19 out of 20 points in the prestigious French restaurant guide, Gault Millau. The restaurant seats 50 and has over 20 chefs. The tasting menu includes dishes like confit of foie gras using duck from Landes; frog leg crackers with spring vegetables; John Dory from Quiberon Bay; Bresse pigeon, etc., with a selection of fine cheeses. <br /><br /><strong>Aragawa, Tokyo, Japan: $350 per person</strong><br />Forbes rated Aragawa as the world’s most expensive restaurant in 2006. Of course, things have come a long way since then. However, it continues to be one of the best, especially if you like beef. It only seats 22. Its location and limited seating make it exclusive. Aragawa is known to serve the best Kobe beef in the world. Do try the Sanda beef steak, sourced from Tajima cattle that are raised for more than 28 months in the Sanda region of Hyogo Prefecture. <br /><br /><strong>Ithaa, Maldives: $320 per person<br /></strong>Imagine a giant aquarium, except, in this case, the fish are outside and you are inside the glass-enclosed space from where you can enjoy 180-degree views of coral reefs and a wide variety of fish and other aquatic animals. Ithaa means mother of pearl. It is located about 16 feet below the Indian Ocean’s surface and was rated “the most beautiful restaurant in the world” by the New York Daily News in 2014. It is also one of the most expensive restaurants to build — it cost $5 million to set up. It caters primarily to European tastes and its six-course tasting menu, paired with champagne, includes reef fish caviar, Black Angus beef tenderloin, Malossol caviar with sour cream and potato blinis, and yellowtail king fish with saffron champagne risotto and beurre blanc foam. <br /><br />smita@businessworld.com<br />Twitter: @smitabw<br /><br />(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 15-12-2014)</div>
